Coat collar construction



Aug; 3, 1968 o. ABRAMSON 3,396,407

COAT COLLAR CONSTRUCTION Filed July 19. 1966 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 IN VEN TOR. OAV/S AER/1M6 01V BY G/LWMM g- 13, 1963 D. ABRAMSON 3,396,407

COAT COLLAR CONSTRUCT ION Filed July 19, 1966 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 I N VEN TOR. 0A V/S ABAWMS ON ATTOR/VYS United States Patent 3,396,407 COAT COLLAR CONSTRUQTION Davis Abrarnson, 111 Franklin Ave, New Rochelle, NE. 16805 Filed July 19, 1966, Ser. No. 566,424 6 Claims. (Cl. 2-98) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLQSURE A coat has a coat collar comprising an undercollar, a top collar, and a stifiening canvas which is cut on the bias. The undercollar is made of the regular coat fabric instead of flannel, the top collar and the undercollar being a single piece of the coat fabric folded at the free edge of the collar between the top collar and undercollar, and there by eliminating the relatively long hand-sewn seam usually required between the top collar and the usual flannel undercollar. The canvas is itself folded at the free edge of the coat collar where the coat fabric is folded in order to provide a double thickness of canvas. One of the two folds of canvas is nearly as large as the adjacent fold of coat fabric. The other is cut away at its free edge over an area corresponding to the stand portion of the collar, so that the collar when folded around the stand portion, is stiffened by a double thickness of canvas, whereas the stand portion itself is stiffened by only a single thickness of canvas. A preferred mode of stitching the parts is also described.

This invention relates to garments, especially coats, and more particularly to coat collars.

The usual practice for making collars for suit jackets, sports jackets, topcoats, overcoats and the like, is to employ the coat fabric for the front of the collar or so-called top-collar, and flannel or other such substitute fabric for the back of the collar or so-called undercollar. The terms front and back refer here to the position when the collar is turned up. When the collar is folded down in its normal position the front or top collar becomes the outside, while the back or undercollar becomes the inside. The free edge of the coat fabric is folded under, and the edge of the flannel or undercollar is stitched flat, that is joined with a raw edge, to the fold, in order to avoid excessive thickness. This stitching is done by hand by a skilled operator, and constitutes an expensive part of the manufacturing operation.

The collar is stiffened by inside stiffening material or so-called canvas. This is cut on the bias in order to be able to better take the desired collar shape. The ends of the collar are stitched while the collar is temporarily reversed so as to later conceal the stitching. These stitched ends usually form part of the lapel notches. The coat body has coat material or facing for the lapels and front. The two long free open edges at the bottom of the collar are stitched to the top edge of the coat body with the edges of the collar straddling the coat body. The top portion of the collar is folded downward outside the lower portion, and the collar then may be further shaped in a collar shaping machine for better fit around the neck.

The general object of the present invention is to improve the coat collar construction. A more specific object is to provide a coat collar using the regular coat for both the front and the back of the collar, that is, for both the top collar and the undercollar, instead of using flannel for the undercollar. Another object is to reduce the cost of manufacture by eliminating the long hand-sewn seam at the back near the free edge of the collar, that is, the seam which joins the top collar and the undercollar, which is done here by making the front and back out of a single "ice piece of coat fabric which is simply folded at the free edge. The collar then is a one-piece seamless collar.

A further object is to improve the stiffening of the upper or outer portion of the collar, without unduly stiffening the lower portion or so-called stand'of the collar. For this purpose I employ a single piece of canvas which is folded to double thickness, but which is so tailored that there is only one thickness of canvas in the stand portion.

To accomplish the foregoing objects, and other more specific objects which will hereinafter appear, my invention resides in the coat collar elements and their relation one to another, as are hereinafter more particularly described in the following specification. The specification is accompanied by drawings in which:

FIG. 1 shows a pattern on a folded piece of coat fabric preparatory to cutting the same;

FIG. 2 shows a stiffening canvas on the collar fabric;

FIG. 3 is a similar view, with the canvas folded and both thicknesses secured by blind stitching to the back or undercollar;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary view with the collar material reversed for stitching the ends of the collar;

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary view showing the top collar and the top edge or neck at the inside of the coat, preparatory to attaching the collar to the neck;

FIG. 6 is a similar fragmentary view at the lapel notch after attachment to the collar;

FIG. 7 is a section taken approximately on the line 77 of FIG. 6;

FIG. 8 is fragmentary view of the mid portion of the collar after attachment to the neck of the garment;

FIG. 9 is a section taken approximately on the line 99 of FIG. 8; and

FIG. 10 is like FIG. 9 but shows a variant.

Referring to the drawing and more particularly to FIG. 1, a pattern 12 made of paper, cardboard, or other suitable material, is laid at the folded edge 14 of a piece of coat fabric 16 of double thickness. This is customary, the pattern 12 being only half as long as the collar, but in FIG. 1 the pattern 12 is nearly twice as high as usual because it provides fabric for both the front and the back of the collar, instead of only the front, that is, for the top collar and undercollar, instead of only the top collar. The pattern is preferably placed crosswise of the material, the length or warp of the material being in the direction of the arrows 18. This is done because woven material has greater stretch across the material than lengthwise of the material.

Referring now to FIG. 2, the patterned material when opened out takes the configuration shown at 20, 21. A fold line at 24 between the front or top collar fabric 20 and the back or undercollar fabric 21 replaces the long handsewn stitching heretofore required near the free edge of the collar between the top collar and the undercollar or flannel.

Canvas stiffening material is shown at 22, 23, and I provide a double thickness of canvas, preferably making it in a single piece of increased width, so that it can be folded on the line 24, which is also the fold line of the collar. However, one of the two folds of canvas, in this case the part 22, is cut away as shown at 26, it being cut away over an area corresponding to the lower portion or stand of the collar, so that eventually the collar is stiffened by a double thickness of canvas, whereas the stand is stiffened by only a single thickness of canvas, so as to be soft around the neck. The line 26 corresponds approximately to the final fold line when the upper portion of the collar is folded down outside of the lower portion or stand of the collar. The canvas 22, 23 and the coat fabric 20, 21 may be initially secured together 3 by a line of stitches indicated at 24, these being basting stitches, performed by hand or by machine. These stitches, if used, are later removed. However, the basting 24 is not at all needed, and is preferably omitted.

The canvas 22, 23 is cut on the bias, that is, its threads run at an angle of substantially 45 as suggested at 25. This is customary, and is done in order to permit the stiffening material to more readily assume the finished collar shape, as later finished in a collar shaping machine.

Referring now to FIG. 3, the upper part 22 of the canvas has been folded down over the lower part 23 of the canvas and has been secured to the back part or undercollar 21, preferably by multiple lines of stitching 28. These are blind stitches, made on a conventional blind stitching machine. The sewing can be done by hand, but one object of the present invention is to minimize hand sewing.

The next step is to sew the ends 30 of the collar. This may be done by hand, but is readily done on an ordinary sewing machine, and the line of stitching is concealed by inverting the collar before stitching, and restoring it rightside out after stitching. Referring to FIG. 4 the front part or top collar 20 has been folded backward and downward behind the back part or undercollar 21, and the end 30 has been stitched with a line of stitching indicated at 32. After both ends have been stitched in this manner the collar is turned rightside out, that is to say, the part 20 or top collar is brought up and around and in front of the part 21 or undercollar, with the canvas 22, 23 then concealed inside. This is shown in FIG. 5 in which the reversed end with its concealed stitching is indicated at 30. The fold of the collar material is at 34, this being the top or free edge of the collar when the collar is turned up.

The entire collar so far described may be made by an unskilled worker and without hand sewing.

The top corner portion of the garment or coat body is also shown in FIG. 5, the coat terminating in a top edge or neck 36 which is shaped to conform to the bottom edge 38 of the collar. A part of the coat is of double thickness, that is, a facing of coat material 40 is secured to the main coat material, as by means of reversely folded machine stitching along the edges 42, 44. A part of the facing 40 becomes the lapel 46 of the coat after folding on a lapel fold line suggested in broken lines at 48. This lapel fold line is a continuation of the collar fold line which is to be provided later, and which is indicated by broken line 50. It corresponds generally to the line 26 in FIGS. 2 and 3.

If the coat is lined, the lining usually is applied before attaching the collar to the body of the garment, and such lining is indicated at 52 and 54 in FIG. 5.

The collar may be secured to the coat body by methods already known. These methods vary greatly, using much hand sewing in an expensive garment, and a minimum of hand sewing in inexpensive garments. I shall describe a typical method, but the present improvement is not limited to that method, but rather lies primarily in the construction of the collar itself.

The front and back open edges of the collar straddle the edge 36 of the coat except at the ends near the lapel notch. The front or top collar 20 is machine stitched to the inside of the coat body. For this purpose the collar is folded downward over the inside of the coat body as they are being stitched together, so that the line of stitching later is concealed when the collar is again turned upward to the position shown in FIG. 6.

The final step is to sew the bottom edge of the undercollar 21 to the back or outside of the coat body. This is almost always a hand operation sometimes called felling (but a machine overcast stitch is sometimes used in inexpensive garments). The edge of the undercollar 21 may be stitched with the edge left raw, or it may be sewn with a narrow fold formed as it is being stitched. In 7 FIGS. 7 and 9 the fabric edge is assumed to be folded or hemmed. and in FIG. 10 it is left unfolded. At the lapel the front as well as the back is preferably hand sewn. This attachment of the collar to the coat body is the only operation left with my collar that requires a skilled operator and hand sewing. The collar itself does not.

FIG. 7 is a section taken approximately on the line 7-7 of FIG. 6 where the collar forms a part of the lapel and remains unfolded. The bottom edge 38 of the top collar 20 is stitched to the top edge 44 of the lapel 46 by hand stitching indicated at 64). This is for a very short distance only, to the fold line 48 (FIGS. 5 and 6, and is preferably done by hand to obtain a smooth fiat lapel. The main seam between the two lapel fold lines may be made by machine. Later the bottom edge 62 of the undercollar 21 is stitched to the back 64 of the lapel by hand stitching indicated at 66.

Generally similar remarks are applicable to FIG. 9, which is a section taken approximately on the line 99 of FIG. 8 at the back of the collar where it is wide and later is folded. The top collar 20 is stitched to the neck edge 36 of the inside of the coat body which at this point may be the lining 54. The stitching is indicated at 70, and may be performed on an ordinary sewing machine, with the top collar 20 then placed to the left over the lining 54 of the garment, so that the stitch line 70 is concealed when the collar is turned back to the position shown in FIGS. 8 and 9. This machine stitch may extend from lapel to lapel, as previously mentioned. Later, and as a final sewing step the remaining free edge 72 of the undercollar is hand stitched to the back of the coat by stitches indicated at 74. This is the same operation as in FIG. 7, the stitch line 74 being a continuation of the stitch line 66, all sewn in one operation. The undercollar 21 may be reversely folded or hemmed as shown at 76, or may be left flat with its raw edge exposed.

Finally, the collar is folded down and creased, that is the collar portion is folded outwardly and downwardly around the stand portion 82, as is indicated in broken lines at 80'. This fold is on the fold line indicated in broken lines at 50 in FIGS. 5, 6 and 8. It will be seen that the collar portion 80 is stiffened by two thicknesses of canvas 22 and 23, whereas the part 82 or stand is stiffened by only one thickness of canvas 23.

It will be understood that the thicknesses have been greatly exaggerated in FIGS. 7 and 9, in order to more clearly show the parts.

FIG. 10 is like FIG. 9 but shows the undercollar secured to the back of the garment with its edges 83 left raw or unfolded. The stitching 84 is cast around the raw edge. In general, the attachment of the collar to the garment may follow any usual practice. The nature of the fabric will influence the choice as between the fold 76 in FIG. 9 and the raw edge 83 in FIG. 10.

The folded collar is appropriately treated in a collar shaping machine to help set it in desired shape to conform to the neck of a wearer.

It is believed that the construction of my improved coat collar, and the method of fabricating the same, as well as the advantages thereof, will be apparent from the foregoing detailed description. It will also be apparent that while I have shown and described my improvement in a preferred form, changes may be made without departing from the scope of the invention, as sought to be defined in the following claims.

I claim:

1. A coat having a coat collar comprising an undercollar, a top collar, and a stiffening canvas which is cut on the bias, the undercollar being made of the regular coat fabric instead of flannel, the top collar and the undercollar being a single piece of the said coat fabric folded at the free edge of the collar between its top collar and undercollar and thereby eliminating the relatively long handsewn seam usually required between the top collar and the usual fiannel undercollar, the canvas being itself folded at the free edge of the coat collar where the coat fabric is folded in order to provide a double thickness of canvas, said collar having a stand portion, one of said two folds of canvas being nearly as large as the adjacent fold of coat fabric, the other of said two folds of canvas being cut away at its free edge over an area corresponding to said stand portion of the collar, whereby the collar when folded around the stand portion is stifiened by a double thickness of canvas, where as the stand portion is stiffened by a single thickness of canvas.

2. A coat as defined in claim 1, in which the two thicknesses of canvas are secured by blind stitching to the undercollar.

3. A coat as defined in claim 1 in which the top colcollar and undercollar at the ends of the collar are stitched with the collar reversed so that the stitching is concealed when the collar is rightside out.

4. A coat as defined in claim 1, in which the two thicknesses of canvas are secured by blind stitching to the undercollar, and in which the top collar and undercollar at the ends of the collar are stitched with the collar reversed so that the stitching is concealed when the collar is rightside out.

5. A coat as defined in claim 4, in which the body of the coat has facing and lapels, the collar being stitched to the neck edge of the coat body with the front and hack free edges of the collar straddling the neck of the body, and with the ends of the coat collar forming part of the 6 lapel notches, the top collar being machine stitched except at its ends to the inside of the coat body at the neck with the collar in reversed position so that the stitching is concealed, the ends being hand-sewn at the lapels, and the undercollar being hand-sewn to the outside of the coat body.

6. A coat as defined in claim 1, in which the body of the coat has facing and lapels, the collar being stitched to the neck edge of the coat body with the front and hack free edges of the collar straddling the neck of the body, and with the ends of the coat collar forming part of the lapel notches, the top collar being machine stitched except at its ends to the inside of the coat body at the neck with the collar in reversed position so that the stitching is concealed, the ends being hand-sewn at the lapels, and the undercollar being hand-sewn to the outside of the coat body.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 539,834 5/1895 Scott 2-98 2,007,014 7/1935 Greif 298 FOREIGN PATENTS 616,936 1/ 1949 Great Britain. 1,366,488 6/ 1964 Great Britain.

RICHARD J, SCANLAN, 1a., Primary Examiner. 

